Sun Valley High School's version of the musical "Annie" may have concluded this past weekend, but that doesn't mean drama surrounding the play has stopped.

In fact, the drama will likely continue tonight at 7 when there is an expulsion hearing involving Sun Valley senior Sam Schmucker.

Up until about three weeks ago, Schmucker had one of the lead roles in "Annie" playing the character Daddy Warbucks. It was about six weeks into rehearsal when play director John F. Baxter raised his voice at one of the females in the play and Schmucker took offense, reportedly grabbing Baxter by the shoulder and telling him that was inappropriate.

Schmucker was then removed from the play and has served two 10-day suspensions. The meeting tonight is to determine if Schmucker, the senior class vice president, will be expelled from school for the rest of the year.

Schmucker's relatives aren't denying he should have been punished. But they think the possibility of expulsion is going too far. Schmucker appears to be an exemplary student who had originally been scheduled to receive a citizenship award for good conduct voted on by the school's teachers for the second straight year at the meeting.

"He was wrong and they gave him 10 days of suspension and took him off the play," said Schmucker's aunt, Elizabeth McGlinchey. "Then to take his citizenship award away is uncalled for. He earned that before this happened. All the teachers had nominated him for it. He earned it once. How many chances do you have to get the citizenship award twice?"

It's apparently an opportunity Schmucker won't experience again. And while no one is denying Schmucker's error in judgment, many feel it would be an error to expel him from school.

"I understand he is my nephew, but when I talk to people about it they say, 'You are kidding me,'" McGlinchey said. "You're paying taxes now on something that should have never happened."

According to the McGlinchey, Schmucker should have been allowed a meeting with school officials after the first suspension. But they say that never happened and the school proceeded with plans for the expulsion hearing.

That kind of hearing is something that many who know Schmucker thought would never happen.

"Without a doubt, he was an exemplary young man for us," said Glen Clark, the scout master for Boy Scout Troop 225 in Aston, of which Schmucker was a member of until last year. "He was responsible as a patrol leader, when you are in charge of eight men. He was also a troop guide, where you take the younger ones under your wing and teach them the basic of the program.

"He was always very focused, patient and had good listening skills. Sam always taught them to be attentive, but he was always under control. I never saw the kid lose his temper."

Baxter says he also made it a point not to lose his temper and said raising his voice is not a habit when directing a play.

"This incident happened six weeks into the run and it was the very first time they heard me raise my voice," Baxter said. "The first."

Baxter made also made it clear he had nothing to do with the disciplinary decisions by school officials.

"I didn't even know he would be suspended," Baxter said. "All I knew was that he was obviously out of my show after his behavior, as you don't do that at any level -- high school or Broadway. Everything that has happened has been entirely up to the school and I hate being involved in the whole thing."

Baxter has directed or co-directed five shows with college students, including three in the past year, and said he had no issues in previous productions.

"The worst part of all of this is that I am too lenient with the kids," Baxter said. "I am the good-cop distillation of every director I have ever worked with. I am not strict enough."

Whether the district will take more strict action with Schmucker will be decided tonight. Penn-Delco School District Superintendent Dr. George Steinhoff's only comment was that he would "not speak to any private student matters."

Just how private the meeting will be remains a bit unclear. There has been a Twitter campaign by Schmucker's fellow students using the hashtags #freesam and #savesam to encourage students to attend. Clark added that he plans on attending the hearing to support Schmucker, who was in the school's production of "Beauty and the Beast" last year and had agreed to shave his head if necessary for the Daddy Warbucks role.

"He worked so hard on that play, he wants to be with his friends and go to the senior prom," McGlinchey said. "This is a good kid."